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Anthony Johnson (February 1, 1966[1] – September 6, 2021), sometimes credited as A. J. Johnson, was an American actor and comedian. He was best known for his role as "Ezell” in the 1995 comedy film Friday.
| Anthony Johnson | |
|---|---|
| Born | February 1, 1966 Compton, California, U.S. |
| Died | September 6, 2021 (aged 55) Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Medium | Stand-up, film, television |
| Years active | 1982–2019 |
| Genres | Comedy, observational comedy, satire, improvisational comedy, blue comedy |
| Spouse | Lexis Jones Mason |
| Children | 3 |
Career
editBorn in Compton, California, his father Eddie Smith was a stuntman and a co-founder of the Black Stuntmen's Association. Johnson had credited his father for helping him enter the film industry, by getting him to work in film productions. He had also credited the comedian Robin Harris for helping him earlier on in his career as a stand-up comedian and giving him another chance even when he was jeered for his bad performance.[1][2]
Johnson began acting in his early twenties. In 1990, he landed a starring role as E.Z.E. in House Party, after which he started doing stand-up in bars in Los Angeles. He later appeared in Lethal Weapon 3 as a drug dealer and in Menace II Society. His biggest role was in the 1995 comedy Friday, as Ezell, a crackhead and thief. He also appeared in Panther, The Players Club, B*A*P*S, I Got the Hook-Up,[3] Def Jam's How to Be a Player and Repos, and in rap videos: in Dr. Dre's "Dre Day" (1992), he played Sleazy-E, a parody of Eazy-E, and he appeared again as Sleazy-E in the video for Eazy-E's "Real Muthaphuckkin G's" (1993), this time being assaulted.[4]
Personal life
editJohnson was married to Lexis Jones Mason and the couple had three daughters.[5] He also had two siblings: a brother named Edward Smith, and a sister named Sheila.[6]
In July 2009, it was reported that Johnson had a heart attack at LaGuardia Airport while on his way to a comedy show.[7] However, Johnson said in 2018 that it was instead a panic attack.[8]
Johnson died on September 6, 2021, aged 55, at a Los Angeles County hospital,[1] after being found unresponsive in a store.[9] His death was publicly announced on September 20 by his representative LyNea Bell.[6] Johnson died of multi-system organ failure stemming from chronic ethanol (alcohol) use according to his autopsy report. It also stated that he had contracted COVID-19 but was asymptomatic.[10][11]
Filmography
editFilm
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1982 | Puss in Boots | Field Hands | TV movie |
| 1990 | House Party[12][13] | E.Z.E. | |
| 1992 | Lethal Weapon 3 | Drug Dealer | |
| 1993 | Menace II Society[12][13] | Tony | |
| 1994 | House Party 3[13] | Butcher | |
| 1995 | Panther[14][15] | Tony | |
| Friday[13][16] | Ezal | ||
| 1996 | The Great White Hype[13][14] | Sultan's Valet | |
| 1997 | B*A*P*S[13][14] | James | |
| How to Be a Player[13][16] | Spootie | ||
| Hoover Park[15][16] | Chris | ||
| 1998 | The Players Club[13][16] | L'il Man | |
| Woo[13][14] | Doorman | ||
| I Got the Hook-Up[14][16] | Blue | ||
| Dark Angeles | Drug Dealer / Attorney | ||
| 1999 | Rising to the Top | Jailer #2 | Video |
| Foolish | Himself | Video | |
| 2000 | Hot Boyz[13][16] | Pee Wee | Video |
| Baller Blockin' | Himself | ||
| 2001 | O[13][14] | Dell | |
| 2002 | On the Edge | Hank Conrad | |
| 2003 | Sweet Hideaway | Coach | |
| 2004 | Roscoe's House of Chicken n Waffles[15] | Roscoe | Video |
| Hittin' It![14][16] | Cousin E | ||
| 2006 | Repos[15] | Tick Tack | Video |
| 2015 | Office Staff | AJ | TV movie |
| 2016 | Undercover Princesses | Dolph Thomas | |
| 2017 | Candy | Lollipop | |
| 2018 | 5K1 | Wash Manager | |
| Hey, Mr. Postman![16] | Cousin Tino | ||
| Consequencez | Detective | ||
| 2019 | I Got The Hook Up 2[16] | Blue | |
| The Dummy | O.G.B.C Hype Man | ||
| Shorty Betta Go 2 Work - Grandma Huttie's Boyfriend[16] | Gold Grillz | Short |
Television
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | The Bold and the Beautiful | Caterer #2 | Episode: "Episode #1.579" |
| 1993-97 | Martin | Clyde / LaFonne | 2 Episodes |
| 1994 | Def Comedy Jam[16] | Himself | TV series |
| South Central | Thug on the Bus | Episode: "Gun: Part 1" | |
| 1995 | The Parent 'Hood[16] | Tre | Episode: "Welcome Back, Robert" |
| 1996 | Moesha | G-Dog | Episode: "Niece" |
| 1997 | Malcolm & Eddie[15] | Free Willie | 2 Episodes |
| The Jamie Foxx Show | Lil Loc Dog | Episode: "Super Face Off" |
References
edit- ^ a b c Jiménez, Jesus (September 20, 2021). "Anthony Johnson, Actor Known for 'Friday,' Dies at 55". The New York Times. Retrieved September 20, 2021.
- ^ Weaver, Anna (September 21, 2021). "Actor Anthony Johnson, Of 'Friday' Fame, Dead At 55". KSBY. Retrieved September 21, 2021.
- ^ Kevin L. Clark (April 28, 2014). "Where Are They Now?: The Cast Of Friday: Anthony (A.J.) Johnson". Hip-Hop Wired.
- ^ "Cinema: Anthony Johnson (actor)". In.com. Archived from the original on July 6, 2015. Retrieved October 6, 2016.
- ^ Morris, Bilaal (September 20, 2021). "RIP Anthony 'A.J.' Johnson: GoFundMe Launches As Fans Mourn Latest 'Friday' Star To Die". NewsOne. Retrieved September 20, 2021.
- ^ a b Evans, Greg (September 20, 2021). "Anthony "A.J." Johnson Dies: 'Friday', 'House Party' Actor & Comedian Was 55". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved September 20, 2021.
- ^ Smokey Fontaine (July 31, 2009). "AJ Johnson Resting Comfortably After Heart Attack". The Urban Daily.
- ^ Morris, Kevin (October 18, 2018). "Exclusive: AJ Johnson on Having Panic Attack on Plane in 2009, Plane Had to Land". VladTV. Retrieved 20 September 2021.
- ^ D'Zurilla, Christie (September 20, 2021). "Anthony 'A.J.' Johnson, 'Friday' and 'House Party' actor, dies at 55". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved September 20, 2021.
- ^ Ali, Rasha. "'Friday' actor Anthony Johnson died of natural causes stemming from 'chronic ethanol use'". USA TODAY. Retrieved 9 February 2022.
- ^ Mya Abraham (February 9, 2022). "'Friday' Actor Anthony "AJ" Johnson's Cause Of Death Revealed". Vibe. Retrieved February 11, 2022.
- ^ a b "Anthony Johnson". American Film Institute. Retrieved September 21, 2021.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "Anthony Johnson – Filmography". Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved September 21, 2021.
- ^ a b c d e f g "A.J. Johnson". British Film Institute. Archived from the original on May 28, 2018. Retrieved September 21, 2021.
- ^ a b c d e "A.J. Johnson List of Movies and TV Shows". TV Guide. Retrieved September 21, 2021.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l "Anthony Johnson". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved September 21, 2021.